Tori Richard Goes Back To Its Roots

Tori Richard is back as one of the most stylish labels in Hawaii after re-focusing on its women’s line

Wednesday - October 18, 2006
By .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
E-mail this story | Print this page | Archive | RSS | Del.icio.us

Share

For Josh Feldman, president and CEO of Tori Richard, you can say that fashion is in his blood.

As the son of the late Mort Feldman, founder of Tori Richard, young Josh has continued his father’s legacy of imbuing women’s resort wear with sophistication, fine fabrications and exclusive prints.

Based on the company’s current standings, father Mort would be proud. The local family business celebrates its 50th anniversary this month - an occasion that is in no doubt extra special to Feldman.

“(At one point) the company was on the verge of Chapter 11,” he reveals. “We were at death’s doorstep and the Grim Reaper was knocking at the door.”

Add to that “demoralized employees, grossly obsolete product, skyrocketing costs and a deep state recession,” and you’ve got yourself a prescription for disaster.

Enter Feldman, who in 1994 and at only 22 years old, joined Tori Richard with a determination to revitalize the company and reclaim his father’s legacy. His primary responsibilities: update and modernize operations and product lines, and rebuild sales revenues on the continental U.S.

While still in college, Feldman’s hard work and dedication was noticed by many, and in 1996, he became sales manager, overseeing Mainland sales, and more importantly increasing company revenues 500 percent over the next three years.

As Tori Richard made its way back, Feldman was also doing a climbing of his own - up the corporate ladder. In 1999, he was promoted to vice president of sales and operations.

The following year, he re-launched Tori Richard’s legendary women’s division, which had been overtaken by the men’s division in the 1980s.

“We started as a women’s business,” he says. “But then our men’s business became very healthy and at that point we changed from a women’s high-end resort company to an aloha shirt company with 70 to 80 percent of our product line for men.”

Those who remember Tori Richard from its early years recognize the company as much more than aloha shirts. And now, the illustrious women’s line that was Tori Richard is back and hotter than ever.

“Part of the reason we opened the Tori Richard retail stores is because we felt people didn’t know what we were about,” says Feldman. “We have an eclectic, well-travelled collection. The wrap dress that every-one’s wearing today, we had it in the 1960s before (Diane) von Furstenberg.

“We are print driven. Our clothes are art driven and they often show strong Asian influences. My dad spent a lot of time in Asia, so it’s also a reflection of my dad. And what we want is a consistent identity which is a contemporary, yet timeless lifestyle.”

Tori Richard, which was founded by Mort Feldman, his soon-to-be wife Janice Moody and pattern-maker Mitsue Aka, is named after Mort’s son Richard and Moody’s daughter Victoria.

In celebration of its 50th anniversary, the company has planned a series of events (see page 46), and released a commemorative coffee-table book written by local author Jocelyn Fujii.

“The book was a tribute to Mort,” says Feldman. “He would’ve never let us do it. But many of his principles still stand with us today.

“To this day, we have meetings where we’ll stop and say, ‘What would Mort do?’ For me, my dad taught me to do what you

Page 1 of 2 pages for this story  1 2 >

E-mail this story | Print this page | Comments (0) | Archive | RSS

Most Recent Comment(s):